Packaging method



B. A. FAIRBANK PACKAGING METHOD June 5, 1951 Filed Jan. 5, 1949 k m r F m VA m m m. m a

8 Imam-2. Affomey Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGING METHOD sachusetts Application January 5, 1949, Serial No. 69,375

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a method of packaging a number of irregularly shaped pieces of foodstuffs, such as the pieces of a cut-up fowl, in flexible, impermeable envelopes in such a way that there results a uniform, compact package suitable for quick freezing.

It has been found to be desirable, when preserving a foodstuff by freezing, to protect the foodstuff by the use of a partially evacuated, hermetically sealed, moisture and vapor impermeable envelope.

Even though the advantage of scaled, impermeable envelopes is well recognized, two difficulties have prevented their general use in connection with cut-up poultry and similarly packaged meats. The first difficulty is that a fused heat seal across the end of a bag has been found to be the simplest and most effective method of closure, yet when pieces of chicken and meat are inserted in the bag, a film of grease is spread on the inner wall. Grease frequently causes the seal to leak and sometimes prevents the heatsealing operation from taking place.

Ihe second difficulty comes about because a large proportion of cut-up frying chickens, and meats such as chops, are frozen in plate freezers. Plate freezers consist of a series of chilled platens which open a fixed distance to permit loading the packages into the freezer, and then close down on the package to secure proper heat transfer between the cold platen and the food. Plate freezing does notlend itself to the freezing of lumpy, ill-shaped and indefinitely dimensioned packages, yet the parts of a chicken when placed in a bag produce such a lumpy package.

It is an object of the present invention to secure uniform heat seals on bags which have been loaded with cut-up and greasy foodstuffs, and it is a further object to produce uniformly shaped packages which may be expeditiously loaded into a plate freezer and will fit standardized cartons or retail merchants packages and overwrappings.

In describing this new method of packaging, I have arbitrarily chosen as my detailed example of a foodstuff for clarity and convenience, chicken with a drawn weight of about three pounds, prepared for frying. It is apparent, however, that the method is not confined, either to this particular type of foodstuff, or to the particular size range specified, but is generally useful whenever relatively small, irregularly shaped pieces are to be packed in impermeable bags.

The performance of my method of packaging involves the use of a rigid tray provided with a plunger element, which I call the packaging tray,

2 and a rigid support with walls which I call the transfer pan.

Figure I shows the packaging tray as designed for the packing of cut-up poultry.

Figure II shows the transfer pan.

Figure III shows the pieces of chicken arranged in the packaging tray.

Figure IV shows the packaging tray with its cover in place and the envelope in the process of being drawn on.

Figure V shows the packaging tray with the envelope drawn on and the transfer pan in place.

Figure VI shows the assembly as the pieces of chicken are being ejected into the transfer pan.

Figure VII shows the packaged pieces of chicken in the transfer pan.

The packaging tray it": which, in this particular example, is 8 inches long, 4% inches wide and 2 inches deep, consists of a floor l l, upstanding side walls i2 and i3 and end wall it. At the upper edge of end wall it, is attached hinge E5 to which cover if; is movably fastened. Cover it is approximately 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. A plunger element is inserted at a point ll centered both vertically and horizontally in endwall It. The plunger element consists of rod is which terminates outside the tray at knob 59 and which is attached perpendicularly inside the tray to plate 2. Plate 2 is essentially of the same dimensions as end i i and is situated parallel to end wall i i, thus forming a false end wall portion adapted to be moved as desired to any position along the length of the packaging tray. The packaging tray is attached to the working surface by means of bracket 25 which holds the tray is a raised position parallel to the surface.

The transfer pan 22 is an open ended pan with overall dimensions slightly larger than those of the packaging tray it], and consists of floor 23, upstanding side walls 2d and 25 and end 26.

In performing my method of packaging, the pieces of an eviscerated cut-up chicken are placed in the packaging tray H3, while plate 2i} is in a position directly adjoining end wall it and cover It is in the open position as shown in Figure 3. I find that it is most satisfactory to arrange the pieces of poultry in the packaging tray in such a way that all bone ends and sharp pieces of cartilage face toward the center in order to reduce the likelihood of these sharp edges tearing the envelope. Since the packaging tray is proportioned to the size of chicken being packaged, a compact arrangement is assured.

When the pieces of chicken have been placed in the tray, the cover IE is moved about its hinge into closed position where it rests lightly upon the chicken. The cover prevents the poultry from brushing against the inside of the envelope as the envelope is drawn onto the packaging tray. There is no opportunity, therefore, for a film of grease which would interfere with proper sealing to form on the envelope. After the cover is placed in the closed position, the envelope is drawn over the packaging tray, as shown in Figure 4.

After the envelope has been placed over the packaging tray I0, the transfer pan 22 is placed in position beneath the packaging tray as'shown in Figure 5. In this position, fioo'r .23 'of the transfer pan substantially coincides with the floor l l of the packaging tray and end 26 of the transfer pan coincides with the open end of the packaging tray. Since the dimensions of the transfer pan are slightly larger than the packaging tray, the transfer pan is easily placed beneath the packaging tray.

Knob it, which is attached to rod is is then moved in the direction towards the packaging tray. Since the packaging tray is fastened to the working surface by means of bracket 2 I, the motion of knob E9 in relation to pan E moves plate in a direction away from end Wall 14. This plunger action ejects the chicken from the tray into the transfer pan 22, while the pieces of chicken which have been surrounded by the envelope, carry the envelope along with them. Since the bagged chicken is displaced directly into the transfer pan 22 and since this action also moves the transfer pan away from the packaging tray, there is no opportunity for the pieces of chicken to become disarranged. This is shown in Figure 6.

Vi hen plate 20 has been moved to the open end of the packaging tray, the pieces of chicken have been displaced entirely from the packaging tray into the transfer pan and are enclosed solely by the envelope. The bag may then be evacuated and heat-sealed while the pieces of chicken are rigidly supported and retained in position by the transfer pan. The supporting and confining action of the pan results in a uniform, compact package capable, for example, of being packaged in a paperboard carton.

This method provides an easy, rapid way of packaging cut-up poultry or similar foodstuffs with uniformity, compactness and durability of the package and particularly produces a dense, well shaped package suitable for plate freezing.

I claim:

1. The method of packaging irregularly shaped pieces of foodstuffs, and of producing uniform packages thereof which possess fixed final dimensions, which includes arranging the pieces in a rigid supporting structure having the desired dimensions, drawing an impermeable, flexible envelopeover the structure, expelling the envelope with the pieces contained therein from the structure while maintaining said structure in a fixed position into a second rigid support adapted to maintain the package dimensions established by the first named rigid supporting structure and thereafter sealing the envelope.

2. The method of packaging irregularly shaped pieces of foodstuffs in impermeable, flexible envelopes and of producing uniform packages thereof which possess fixed final dimensions suitable for quick freezing, which consists of arranging the pieces in a rigid supporting structure covering the arranged pieces with a rigid cover, drawing an envelope over the structure and the cover, expelling the envelope with the'pieces contained therein from the structure while maintaining the structure and the cover in a fixed position into a second rigid support adapted to maintain the package dimensions established by the first named rigid supporting structure and thereafter sealing the envelope.

BENJAMIN A. FAIBBANK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 15,683 Petersen Sept. 4, 1923 1,710,386 Taylor l v Apr. 23, 1929 1,773,080 Birdseye Aug. 12, 1930 2,110,410 Westby et al 1 Mar. 8, 1938 2,374,452 Noyes Apr. 24, 1945 

1. THE METHOD OF PACKAGING IRREGULARLY SHAPED PIECES OF FOODSTUFFS, AND OF PRODUCING UNIFORM PACKAGES THEREOF WHICH POSSESS FIXED FINAL DIMENSIONS, WHICH INCLUDES ARRANGING THE PIECES IN A RIGID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE HAVING THE DESIRED DIMENSIONS, DRAWING AN IMPERMEABLE, FLEXIBLE ENVELOPE OVER THE STRUCTURE, EXPELLING THE ENVELOPE WITH THE PIECES CONTAINED THEREIN FROM THE STRUCTURE WHILE MAINTAINING SAID STRUCTURE IN A FIXED POSITION INTO A SECOND RIGID SUPPORT ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN THE PACKAGE DIMENSIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE FIRST NAMED RIGID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND THEREAFTER SEALING THE ENVELOPE. 